“The chief priests, scribes, and elders confront Jesus and ask: “By what authority are you doing these things?” (Mark 11:28)

It is an important question because authority affects all of us.

Parents have authority in the family. Teachers have authority in schools. Priests and bishops have authority in the Church. Government officials have authority in society. Managers have authority in the workplace.

The question is not whether authority exists. The real question is: Where does authority come from, and how should it be used?

The religious leaders questioned Jesus because they were concerned about authority. But ironically, they were more interested in protecting their position than discovering the truth.

Jesus responds by asking about John the Baptist. Was John’s authority from heaven or from human beings? The leaders refuse to answer because they are afraid of losing public approval.

Their problem was not a lack of intelligence. Their problem was a lack of honesty. They were more concerned about preserving power than seeking God’s will.

And that temptation still exists today.

Many people seek authority because of the benefits that come with it—prestige, influence, privilege, control.

But the Gospel reminds us that all authentic authority ultimately comes from God. As St. Paul teaches: “There is no authority except from God” (Romans 13:1).

This means authority is not ownership. Authority is stewardship.

A leader does not own his position. A parent does not own his children. A bishop does not own the Church. A public official does not own the people. Everything is entrusted by God and must one day be accounted for before Him.

This is why authority should never make us proud. It should make us humble. Because the higher the position, the greater the responsibility. The more authority we have, the more people God entrusts to our care.

Jesus Himself shows us the proper use of authority. He had authority over nature, over sickness, over evil spirits, and even over death. Yet He never used His authority to enrich Himself. He never used it to silence critics. He never used it to gain privilege. Instead, He used His authority to heal the sick, forgive sinners, feed the hungry, comfort the suffering, and lead people to God.

In other words, Jesus used authority not to be served but to serve. And that is the standard for every leader.

For parents, authority should be used to guide children, not to dominate them. For teachers, authority should be used to form minds and hearts. For priests and bishops, authority should be used to shepherd God’s people with humility and compassion. For public servants, authority should be used to protect the common good, especially the poor and vulnerable.

The greatest danger of authority is forgetting why it was given. When authority becomes self-serving, it becomes abuse. When authority becomes detached from truth, it becomes manipulation. When authority loses compassion, it becomes oppression. But when authority is rooted in God, it becomes a blessing.

Whether we lead a family, a parish, a classroom, an office, or a nation, let us remember this simple truth: Authority is not a reward for greatness. It is a responsibility to serve.

And one day, God will ask every leader not, “How powerful were you?” but rather, “How faithfully did you care for the people I entrusted to you?”